Diet guru Dukan removed from French medical register

From online dispatches

Hürriyet photo

Pierre Dukan, whose diet was reportedly used by the Middleton family ahead of Kate's wedding to Britain's Prince William, has been removed from French medical register "at his own request," Ireland's Independent News and Media reported.

Both the French and the Parisian Medical Councils had accused Dukan, who promotes a high-protein diet that has seen him sell millions of books and win over a slew of famous followers, of breaking professional rules.

Dukan was facing disciplinary action over his proposal to award extra marks to schoolchildren for staying slim or losing weight. The idea sparked a complaint by French College of Physicians, which warned that the practice would worsen the situation of students suffering from obesity or anorexia.

The body said Dukan's proposal was in breach of article 13 of the medical ethics code, which states: "A doctor must be aware of the repercussions his views can have on the public."

Dukan argued that his proposals fell within "freedom of expression" and claimed the disciplinary proceedings were null and void as he retired from medical practice in 2008. However, medical ethics chiefs said on May 16 that he had only asked to be struck off the register on April 19, 2012.